PeacePlus Nature Communications Manager

PeacePlus Nature is an ambitious €20.8 million programme that brings together nine partners to tackle the decline in priority species and habitats in Northern Ireland, and the border counties of Ireland.

The project, supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), will work to restore blanket bog, lowland wet grassland and limestone grassland and priority species from breeding waders to Marsh Fritillary Butterfly.

RSPB NI in partnership with BirdWatch Ireland, Butterfly Conservation, Monaghan County Council, River Blackwater Catchment Trust, Truagh Development Association, Lough Neagh Partnership, NI Water and An Taisce - The National Trust for Ireland, will work to deliver this.

As Communications Manager you will lead the promotion of PeacePlus Nature - locally and nationally - so people understand, support, and engage with our work to protect cross border wildlife and habitats.

You will develop, manage and deliver our communications and marketing plan to:

- Champion our exciting project, showcasing the extraordinary wildlife and habitats of the project areas, and our restoration work to benefit them
- Build understanding and value around the outcomes from the habitat restoration and nature-based solutions arising from the project to inspire future work
- Build a vibrant presence in the media, online, on social media and in person at events
- Establish an internal communications approach, as well as with partners and funders
- Promote opportunities for people to get involved - through employment, apprenticeships, volunteering and citizen science.

What's the role about?

The role involves:

Communications planning and multi-channel delivery:

 -Experience in communications planning and multi-channel delivery (experience in developing a brand, website, social channels, publications etc from start-up would be beneficial and working with Ireland and NI media)
- Excellent copywriting, editorial skills and content creation skills (including video, images, graphics and blog), as well as channel knowledge.

Media relations and reputation management:

- Leading effective proactive PR campaigns (online and offline) and responding to reactive media queries, including risk management.
- Developing and nurturing relationships with journalists, editors, producers, PR industry contacts, researchers and partnership organisations.

Brand Management:

- To oversee the development of our brand and ensuring communications are created in line with funder and partner fulfilment

Consultancy and collaborative working:

- Working with colleagues internally, partners and funders to cement our partnership approach
- Providing advice to colleagues on communications delivery
- Developing tenders and managing agency relationships
- Management of a Communications Officer

Event management

- Overseeing media and corporate events

Planning, monitoring and evaluation:

- Monitoring of our communications activity and providing evaluation of campaigns and events.

Essential skills, knowledge and experience:

- Educated to degree level with a minimum of three years’ experience in public relations, media or marketing including organising events; or have equivalent work experience.
- Experience in communications planning and a proven track record of delivering and evaluating multi-channel campaigns.
- Excellent people management skills.
- Experience of media relations, reputation management and experience using a range of tactics to achieve print, broadcast, and online coverage.
- Management and administration of digital communication channels (Twitter [X], Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin, websites and blogs) and content creation (photographic, audio visual and digital assets).
- An understanding of brand strategy and management.
- Excellent communications (written and verbal) and editorial skills, and experience of giving advice and support to colleagues.
- Experience of leading the planning, delivering and evaluating events.
- Creative flair, collaborative working approach and strong prioritisation skills combined with the ability to meet tight deadlines.
- Team and agency line management
- Able to travel to remote locations without the use of public transport therefore a drivers licence valid for use in the UK is required.

Desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

-Interest in nature, nature conservation and global climate issues.
-Experience of working for or with environmental, charitable, heritage or destination marketing organisations and delivering campaigns in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
-Membership of a professional body such as CIPR or CIM.